A Tale of Two Teams

Forgive the blatant clichéd to death Charles Dickens rip off, but honestly I don't think there is a play on words that I've heard that better describes the Cowboys of the last 3 years. I touched on this briefly in my last contribution; thus far in 3 games, we have seen every aspect of the Cowboys wow us, be it the running game, the passing game, special teams, rush defense, pass defense, etc. But, we have not seen it all happen at the same time! The one scenario that I did not cover, though, was when the Cowboys do all show up at the same time, only not for the entire game. To be more specific, the Cowboys in the 1st half compared to the 2nd half were two different teams against the Panthers Monday night. It happened last year against the Bengal’s, only the Cowboys fired on all cylinders in the first half, but seem to become content with their lead in the 2nd. The point is, yes, I'm happy the Cowboys were able to pull their collective heads out of their butt and win (I even told those who would listen in my close proximity at the bar I was at that the Cowboys were going to come back), but as a fan who would like to see this team go to the Super Bowl, I was not impressed.

Granted, the Eagles were playing the Chiefs, but they won that game the way a good team wins - convincingly (and that with their back-up QB and rookie RB). The Giants against the Bucs: Is there any question who got dominated in that game?

And yet, the Cowboys in every game have made the game look closer than what it should be. I walked away from week 1 thinking watch out for those Bucs. Three games down and I'm not so sure. I walked away from week 2 thinking, well, at least, the Giants didn't blow us out; there something there to build on and improve upon. And then coming into week 3 I heard a familiar statement that I hadn't heard since 2008: "The Cowboy's have a nasty habit of playing to the talent level of their opponent," and it really hit me hard, because this was shortly after my last contribution. It all makes sense now. The question left is, who is at fault?

Honestly, I'm leaning towards Wade Phillips. There is another cliché that often is used in regards to the Cowboys: A team takes on the personality of their coach! Now let's imagine Wade gets in a fight and let's say he is actually winning. Which of the following sounds more like Wade's approach in finishing off his opponent: He keep's swinging until someone pulls him off or he knocks the guy down, but then being the nice guy that he is, reaches down to help him up, dusting off his pants and hoping that his adversary has had enough?

Now let's look at a few teams that have had success over the last few years and apply that same question to their coach:

Steelers - Mike Tomlin - He keeps swinging

Patriots - Bill Belichick - He keeps swinging

Eagles - Andy Reid - He keeps swinging

Giants - Tom Coughlin - He may have to stop to take his heart medication, but by God, he'll keep swinging.

This is not a criticism of the players coach. The players coach can have success; there have been plenty in the history of football. In fact, watching the chemistry that Mike Tomlin has with his players, I'd describe him as a players coach. This is about identity and it is a universal concept that extends beyond the borders of football.

As an adolescent growing up, if you wanted a reputation that you were not to be messed with, it wasn't enough to throw the punch that ended the fight; there will always be another who will take a chance at the title. You had to end it and make who ever tested you regret it and it had be done in such a manner that sent a message to any other potential contenders, hospital stay being the ultimate statement.

In life, it is no longer good enough to do your job. There are too many people out there without a job who are over qualified to do your job and yet are willing to do it for the lack of anything better. No, you have to keep swinging until you make your self irreplaceable.

In your marriage, it is not nearly good enough to say you love your spouse; you have to show through action that you love them. The same principle applies to your children and family.

I hate this, because I want to like Wade and, furthermore, I want to believe that 2009 could still be the Cowboys year to go to the Super Bowl. But unless this team finds someone different within the organization to emulate, I have my doubts.

I am 35, married and a father of 2 boys. I have been a Cowboys fan since Jimmy Johnson took over; not because I had anything against Tom Landry, but because it just so happens I was old enough to start following and understanding football right as that new era began. Since then, I haven't missed games if I could help it.

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Wade is a good coach (notice i didn’t say great) but his antics are sometimes (most of the time) questionable. Now I am not really sure how much of that is really his doing seeing as how we have 2 head coaches in Dallas, cough, Jerry Jones. I would like to see the Cowboys punish people until the final whistle and win with authority, but I will take a W anyway they can get it.

Though Promising, We Need To Relax About Safety Kavon Frazier

With the addition of former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard to the Cowboys' defensive coaching staff, fans are hoping that Dallas will create their own "Legion of Boom." Of course this is a lofty goal, but one worth pursuing nonetheless.

If the Cowboys are to recreate the Legion of Boom they will need their version of two vital pieces: Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor.

The Seahawks defense works, in many ways, because of these two players. Thomas' ability to play centerfield and literally defend sideline to sideline gives the Seahawks the freedom to use Chancellor where he's best, as a box safety. Chancellor is a big, physical safety who defends the run effectively in the box and can blanket tight ends in man coverage with his size and athleticism.

These safeties are arguably the most critical pieces to the Legion of Boom, though having a shutdown corner in Richard Sherman certainly doesn't hurt.

Realizing Chancellor's importance, Cowboys fans are hoping that current safety Kavon Frazier can fulfill this role in Dallas. Since being drafted by the Cowboys in 2016 Frazier has made his home on Special Teams. As an impressive tackler in both punt and kick coverage, Frazier earned himself time at safety down the stretch of the 2017 season.

S Kavon Frazier

All in all, Frazier played rather well. Against the Washington Redskins he stepped in and made a few splash plays at the line of scrimmage, causing Cowboys Nation to lose their minds. After that impressive Thursday night game, however, Kavon Frazier didn't really reach that same level of performance.

Frazier is still a liability when asked to cover, especially when asked to play as a two deep safety. He also struggles when taking angles at times, though playing downhill as a tackler is his best attribute. Frazier actually reminds me a bit of Barry Church, though over time Church became more refined in coverage than Frazier currently is.

Some have argued that Kavon Frazier's presence should stop the Cowboys from considering a first round safety. I would disagree, and actually believe that if Florida State's Derwin James is available, the Cowboys should consider making that pick.

If you could combine the athleticism and coverage abilities of Byron Jones with the physicality and "box safety" qualities of Kavon Frazier, you'd have a fantastic safety. Unfortunately, this isn't the Marvel Universe and we are left without any super heroes in the back-end.

Hopefully Kris Richard will figure out how to correctly place all of these pieces in the Dallas Cowboys secondary going forward.

Maverick Carter: LeBron James Considered Cowboys During NBA Lockout

Maverick Carter is a pretty important man in the world of sports. As a business man, entrepreneur, and manager of one of the best basketball players of all time in LeBron James, Maverick Carter is certainly used to making headlines.

This week, while on former NFL running back Arian Foster's podcast "Now What? with Arian Foster," Carter claimed that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones once attempted to negotiate a contract with LeBron James.

During the 2011 NBA lockout, Carter claims that Jones contacted LeBron James and discussed bringing him in as a Cowboy while the NBA was without games.

"Jerry Jones, being the smart marketer he is...one day out of the clear blue sky LeBron got a contract I think it was for like one year, a couple million bucks to play for the Dallas Cowboys." - Maverick Carter.

Carter then states that LeBron may have the paperwork framed in his house to remember these discussions with Jerry Jones. LeBron's fandom for the Cowboys has been well documented, as has been his high school football prowess.

We may never know how "real" these discussions were, and of course it is long over now, but just imagining LeBron James getting a chance to play for the Dallas Cowboys would break the internet.

Cowboys Will Tag DeMarcus Lawrence; What’s the Plan?

February 20 is an important day for NFL clubs this year. Why? It's the first day in which teams can franchise tag any player. Since 2015, when the Dallas Cowboys tagged Dez Bryant before they were able to work out a long-term deal, Jerry Jones & Co. haven't used the franchise tag. In 2018, though, that will change.

DeMarcus Lawrence just played his best season yet in 2017, and he's looking to get paid big time. Through three years, he had been able to rack up nine sacks, 52 tackles and three forced fumbles. In just 2017, he sacked opposing quarterbacks 14.5 times, had 35 tackles and managed to force four fumbles.

Not only did Lawrence look like an elite pass rusher, but he also improved as a run defender a lot. The Cowboys have been looking for a "War Daddy" for a long, long time and Lawrence seems to be the answer for this football team.

After such a big year, one would expect the Cowboys to sign him to a multi-year enormous contract. But there's a catch. Lawrence failed to remain healthy early in his career and really didn't make as much of an impact until last season.

There's no question that D-Law will be wearing a star come the 2018 NFL season, but will he be doing it under a long-term deal or under a franchise tag?

Cowboys will not place franchise tag on DeMarcus Lawrence tomorrow as that window opens but will do so by March 6 w/ understanding the goal is to reach a long-term deal. Both sides have until July 16 to make that happen.

For now, according to David Moore from Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys will franchise tag Lawrence with the objective of getting a deal done in July. The tag however, is not expected to be placed as soon as possible.

In 2015, the Cowboys didn't place the franchise tag on Dez Bryant until the final deadline day. This year's deadline is March 6th, so it may be two weeks before they make it official with DeMarcus Lawrence. #CowboysNation #DallasCowboys

What would franchise tagging DeMarcus Lawrence mean for this team?

First of all, they'd make sure he doesn't hit free agency in March. This gives the front office time to get to work and restructure players' contracts if they have to in order to open up as much cap space as they can before giving him a deal.

It's worth mentioning as well, cap savings from players who are designated as post-June 1 cuts will already be available. If you want to be more familiarized with the Cowboys' cap situation, I highly recommend you read John Williams' deep dive on the matter.

It'll continue to be a very interesting story for this offseason, as handing a franchise tag to a player tends to become a non-friendly situation for both parties. Let's hope that's not the case for the Cowboys and Lawrence this year and that everything works out fine.

Here at Inside The Star, we'll continue updating you and the rest of Cowboys Nation throughout the offseason.

Tell me what you think about "Cowboys Will Tag DeMarcus Lawrence; What’s the Plan?" in the comments below, or tweet me @PepoR99 and let’s talk football! If you like football and are looking for a Dallas Cowboys show in Spanish, don’t miss my weekly Facebook Live! show, Primero Cowboys!